August 21, 2023
Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,
We hope you have all had a chance to rest, enjoy the sunshine, and embrace all the wonderful experiences a Maine summer offers. The year-round staff has spent the last couple of months preparing for your return. We are thankful for their hard work and we are so excited to start the 2023-2024 school year at York High School with all of you.
Please feel free to contact your school administrator if you have any questions or concerns. We also encourage you to connect with teachers throughout the year as they are the best resource for classroom-specific questions. Here’s the breakdown of administrative support for the grade levels:
Class of 2024 ~ Mrs. Suttie Class of 2025 ~ Ms. Mockeridge Class of 2026 ~ Mr. Bennett Class of 2027 ~ Ms. Mockeridge |
We will continue our school-wide focus on engagement and growing as a school community – whether in the classroom, on the playing fields, or just in the hallways. Please know that we want high school to be a place where students learn from each other and their teachers, create fond memories, and prepare for life after they leave YHS.
The first block of the day begins at 7:50 and dismissal is at 2:05. Please arrive with plenty of time to reach your class before the 7:50 bell. Being in the building on time is different from being in the classroom.
A change for this school year is that the auditorium doors will only be open until 7:50. If students are tardy to school, they will need to enter the building through the main entrance.
Cell Phones: Teachers will have their own classroom cell phone procedures and students will be expected to follow the classroom rules. The YHS student handbook states that:
The use of electronic devices is at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Students unwilling to comply with classroom expectations will be sent to the administration. In classrooms, including study halls, a staff member may allow the use of personal electronic devices for specific educational purposes or in emergency situations. Failure to comply with this policy will result in the following consequences:
1st Offense: Warning from classroom teacher/administration
2nd Offense: The device will be removed by the teacher and given back at the end of class
3rd/Subsequent Offense(s): Device removed by administration and held in the office until the end of the school day; Parent Meeting
Although it is understood that communication from home is sometimes needed during the school day, parents are urged to utilize the school office phone number to relay any messages to their child that may be urgent in nature. Please help us keep the integrity of our learning environment and refrain from sending students messages throughout the school day.
Communication: We will send weekly newsletters on Thursday afternoons via email to families with important information (it will come from me but through BrightArrow, so if you do not receive it, check your Spam folder first). This will be a great resource for everyone to know what is happening at YHS. Our first official newsletter will go out on Thursday, August 31.
If we have a school emergency or a change in our regularly scheduled programming, we will reach out to you as soon as we are able. Please know that with cell phones, your students may share information with you faster than we can, but the most reliable will come from an administrator.
We will also archive all of our Weekly Memos on our website so if you miss something, be sure to look there.
In addition to our weekly newsletter, we also have a school Instagram account. Be sure to follow along on social media for additional updates and information.
Instagram: yhs_principal |
Artificial Intelligence: Last year we saw an increase in students using AI (ex: ChatGPT) to assist them with their coursework. We understand that AI is not going anywhere and students should learn how to use AI text generators and other AI-based assistive resources to enhance rather than damage their developing abilities as writers, coders, communicators, and thinkers. Please know that if students use AI and claim the work as their own, they may be in violation of our school’s Academic Integrity protocol.
Please remember to:
Give credit to AI tools whenever used, even if only to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations.
Not use AI tools during in-class examinations, or assignments, unless explicitly permitted and instructed.
Employ AI detection tools and originality checks prior to submission, ensuring that their submitted work is not mistakenly flagged.
Use AI tools wisely and intelligently, aiming to deepen understanding of the subject matter and support learning.
PowerSchool: All schedules have been updated in PowerSchool and students should be able to view them. Please check your schedule for accuracy. If you have too many study halls, need to add or drop a class, or if your school counselor reached out to you directly, please make an appointment to meet with them.
Please be sure to complete the annual Back to School / Returning Student Registration forms. You will need to log into your PowerSchool Parent Portal at the following URL:
https://yorkschools.powerschool.com/public
Enter your username and password. In the left-hand navigation column, click on the Forms Icon, then the Enrollment tab. You will see the list of forms that need to be completed. If your student is entering grade 9, you will be asked to upload two proofs of residency.
Late Arrival/Early Dismissal: If you are a junior or a senior and have a study hall scheduled during the first or last block you may be eligible for Late Arrival or Early Dismissal. If you are interested in applying please pick up an application in the main office. Ms. Moynahan will reach out to you when your application has been approved – you must attend your study hall until you hear from her.
Parking and Drop-Off: If you are a student driver, please park in the large parking lot near the York Community Auditorium entrance. Please remember to drive safely and respectfully while on campus. If you are dropping off your student, please do so in the front loop so your student can enter the building through the main entrance. This will help with traffic flow and make sure everyone gets where they need to be in a timely manner.
School Lunch: School meals continue to be available to all students at no charge again this year, regardless of household income. Students are eligible for one breakfast and one lunch. Student lunch schedules will be based on the classes they are in for block 3. Teachers will share lunch information with students on the first day of school.
Pride Days: We will start our school year with Pride Days (8/30 and 8/31) to help students (and staff) get acclimated to the school, build relationships, and have fun. There will be specific activities planned during Pride and all class blocks. Students will go through their bell schedules and will meet their teachers. Our first academic day will be a Blue Day (blocks 1-4) on Tuesday, September 5.
Important Dates this Fall:
Tuesday, August 29 | Freshmen/Transfer Student Orientation
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Wednesday, August 30 |
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Thursday, August 31 | Pride Day #2 |
Friday, September 1 | No School ~ Labor Day Weekend |
Monday, September 4 | No School ~ Labor Day |
Tuesday, September 5 | First Blue Day (Blocks 1-4) |
Wednesday, September 6 | First White Day (Blocks 1-4) |
Saturday, September 9 | Welcome Back Dance @ 7:00-9:00 (Guest forms due by 9/6) |
Monday, September 11 | Picture Day (depends on English class) |
Tuesday, September 12 | Picture Day (depends on English class) |
Thursday, September 14 | Open House @ 6:00-7:30 |
Monday, September 18 | Start of Spirit Week |
Saturday, September 23 | Homecoming Dance @ 7:00-9:00 (Guest forms due by 9/20) |
Friday, October 6 | No School ~ Staff Professional Development Day |
Monday, October 9 | No School ~ Indigenous Peoples’ Day |
Thursday, October 19 |
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Tuesday, October 24 | Parent-Teacher Conferences @ 4:00-7:00 |
Wednesday, October 25 | Picture Retakes |
Friday, November 3 | End of Quarter 1 |
Tuesday, November 7 | No School ~ Election Day |
Friday, November 10 | No School ~ Veterans Day |
New Staff: We take pride in our staff and we are excited to introduce our newest members to you. Please join us in welcoming them to the YHS school community. We are so fortunate they decided to come to York High School and we know our students will benefit from their experiences, subject knowledge, and overall kindness. They are truly student-centered and we look forward to working with them.
Laura Sunderland ~ Art Teacher
Caitlin Fernandes ~ Spanish Teacher
Alan Carp ~ Math Teacher
Kelly Ledsworth ~ Art Teacher
Jennifer Bourgeois ~ Student Services Administrative Assistant
Sharon Trafton ~ Library Educational Technician
Stashue Pawlendzio ~ Educational Technician
Hunter Leroux-Porter ~ Educational Technician
Jill Darin ~ Educational Technician
Stephanie Topping ~ Long-term Math Substitute (Congratulations on your baby, Mrs. Singer!)
We are still in the process of hiring a long-term substitute teacher for Ms. Dennison’s Health/PE classes.
We cannot wait to see you all next week but we hope you get to enjoy the last days of summer break. It’s going to be an exciting year filled with fun, learning, and memorable moments. Remember, we are all going to be engaged members of the York High School community and we are all in this together.
If you have questions or need anything before school begins, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at the high school.
Thank you,
Amanda Suttie
York High School Co-Principal